Chapter Six


Laura nodded and Indy stared into space for a moment then looked back down at her.


"I've got one."


"Tell me." Said Laura.


"No, 'cause if it doesn't work I don't want you to get punished. If it doesn't work you can say that you ken nothing about it. Just follow along and we should be okay."


"But Indy, please, I want to know the pl..." Indy covered her mouth motioning toward the isle with his head. He was telling her that someone was coming. Two soldiers appeared. They opened the door then told Laura to come with them.


"You'd better go. Do as they say but don't tell them anything." Indy whispered to her. Laura nodded the let the soldiers lead her down the isle. Indy watched her go then went to lay on his cot and think.


* * *


The soldiers shoved Laura down the isle then up some stairs to a room that held a wall of knives, a fire place with a merrily burning fire in it and three high backed chairs. The wall of knives was to the right of the door and near the fireplace sat one of the chairs. The second chair was sitting empty to the front and left of the door. The third chair sat a little beyond the second chair, in the corner of the room. It was occupied by Captain Von Ran.


One of the soldiers pushed Laura into the chair by the fire place. "This is your last chance to talk before I am forced to be a little more persuasive." Von Ran said from his chair.


"That's nice." Laura replied. Von Ran shook his head sadly then snapped his fingers and one of the soldiers went to the fireplace tools and took out a black iron poker. He set the tip of it in the fore then stood back, waiting for it to get red-hot.


"I'm sorry you feel that way, my dear." He said then nodded. The other soldier went to Laura and held her ot the chair. Now Laura was getting nerveous. She swallowed as the man with the poker slowly drew it out of the fire. The tip of the poker was orange as so hot it was almost transparant. Laura felt a shiver of fear run down her spine. She glance at Von Ran to see what was going to happen.


"What are your plans Miss Dewitt? Who were you sending those secret messanges to?" Von Ran asked her. Her eyes flicked to the poker then back to Von Ran. She said nothing. "Proceed." Von Ran instructed the soldier with the iron poker. Then to Laura's horror he came toward her. The soldier held her to her seat so she could not run away. The nam with the poker held it about ten inches from her neck. "This is your last chance. Answer me." Laura didn't dare look at the poker for fear that she would lose her nerve.


"Never." She said threw clenched teeth. She saw the poker coming at her. She couldn't stand the thought of that hot piece of metal touching her neck. Suddenly, before she knew she was going to, she fainted. The man with the poker stopped. Now it was no use. She couldn't feel anything so why do it when she was unconsious?


They put the poker away at Von Ran's command. Then one of the soldiers picked up Laura and was heading toward the door with her when Von Ran stopped him. "Leave the girl and bring the other American up here." The soldiers left Laura slummped in her chair and went to go get Indy. When they left, Von Ran pushed a button on the wall. Soon a man with a large metal box that had air holes in it came in and stood by the wall that had the knives on it. Just then Indy was led, or rather, dragged into the room.


"What have you done to her?" Indy shouted when he saw Laura. He was afraid that she was dead.


"She did it to herself. Don't worry Dr. Jones, she's not dead, just unconscious." Von Ran looked at him mockingly. "Really Dr. Jones. I had no idea a man like you ever had such feelings."


"Oh, I'm sure you can tell what feelings I'm having right now." Indy said, his eyes flashing with rage.


"To be sure, I can." The men forced Indy to sit in a chair and then they handcuffed him to it. Indy wondered what the guy with the box was for. He didn't have to wonder long. Von Ran told him all about it.


"Your friend here did not take kindly to answering questions even though we insisted, as you can see." Indy wondered what in the world they had done to her to make her pass out. He forced the thought out of his mind, he didn't want to thing about it. "But from her weakness," Von Ran continued, "I'm sure you can be persuaded to answer a few questions. And I hope that you won't faint on me as she did."


"I wouldn;t think of giving you the pleasure." Indy said sweetly.


"Back to buisness now. Why are you here?"


"To sing and dance for you." Replied Indy.


"I see we'll have to use our persuasion then. Thomas?" The man with the box stooped to open it. To Indy's surprise and horror a cobra proceeded to slither out. It moved slowly toward the unconscious Laura.